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Hi guys!

here’s your next topic to consider when writing in your chosen worlds. How do characters travel, What is the terrain like, and how far are they going?

this applies to real life settings or made up ones.

In the first draft of my dystopian set in Cody Wyoming, my characters walked or rode a horse everywhere, but they always arrived at their destinations within minutes.

When I approached the second draft, I researched the walking distance between the various businesses and tourism locations to see how long it would actually take them. Then I had to research how fast a horse carrying a saddle and adult can travel, and I edited accordingly. Having those accurate times revealed a lot of plot holes, as well as gave my characters more time to have the discussions that were necessary, etc.

Terrain is also going to factor in. My character set in Nebraska can drive for an hour and be in a completely different city, while my character from Detroit can drive for an hour and still be in the middle of Detroit.

If you are writing a made up world, consider making a map. Mine are always ugly, but I try to draw them to scale and use a certain measurement to represent a certain amount of miles, that way I know how long it should take my characters as they are traversing by foot, wagon, horseback, or whatever the case may be.

I wouldn’t say this necessarily enhances the story and makes it more interesting, but it definitely makes it more realistic. Travel takes time. Everyone knows that. Your characters can’t realistically just bounce across the country in a day or two and how they are traveling is going to effect how long it takes. So take the time to consider all the options and do your research on it.

 

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